Hospice grant an 'amazing' help for home care
Hospice at Home West CumbriaA hospice says a £150,000 grant will enable it to provide a further 500 nights of dedicated end-of-life care for people in their homes.
Hospice at Home West Cumbria provides palliative treatment for patients across an area stretching from Maryport to Millom and the Eskdale and Wasdale valleys.
It has been awarded the funding through the social impact programme run by the nuclear company Sellafield Ltd.
Hayley McKay, director of funding and communications at the hospice, said it would have an "amazing impact for us and the people who need our support".
Although the organisation provides care around the clock, Miss McKay said nurses and healthcare assistants being able to stay with patients throughout the night was often of particular importance.
"Our care is delivered in people's homes and it allows them to be where they want to be when they're approaching the end of their life.
"They're not in a clinical setting, they can have family around them or even the dog or the cat at the end of the bed. It really does make a difference to them.
"At night, family members or carers can often be exhausted and so having a nurse there allows them to get some sleep and to take comfort knowing someone is there looking after their loved one.
"There are also times when a patient or family members can't sleep because they have so many thoughts on their mind. Our nurses can chat to them and they find that helpful.
"We want to make sure those difficult times can be as comfortable as they can be for everybody."
Hospice at Home West CumbriaThe organisation, which has its head office in Workington, is the only provider of adult hospice-at-home services in the area.
Running since 1987 and currently with just over 60 staff, it needs to raise about £1.5m annually to help cover its operating costs.
Finding those funds, Miss McKay says, is a constant battle and without support from the community and local businesses "it would be very difficult to keep going".
"We can't thank everyone enough who helps us ensure people can leave the world in a comfortable and dignified manner," she added.
Tracey West, head of social impact at Sellafield Ltd, echoed those comments, saying the funding awarded by the company meant families in west Cumbria "can access compassionate, high-quality services when they need them most".
